Joe Danger; Alpha Squadron – review

Many app developers simply port successful titles from consoles to mobiles without any thought as to how they might be suited to the new medium. With Joe Danger (Apple iOS, £1.99) Hello Games, however, has wisely rebuilt its award-winning title from the ground up.

Taking charge of motorcycling daredevil Joe, there are 59 levels filled with tricky obstacles and challenges. Joe's bike now pushes forward automatically, leaving the player free to focus on jumping, ducking and all-important stunts – with taps, presses and swipes. Obstacles vary from the sharks in pools to muddy puddles, but they all require intense concentration to make it through the course unscathed, and even more so to earn a pro medal. For that three bonus missions have to be completed, in addition to simply surviving the level. It's an excellent example of how to revamp a console favourite.

Alpha Squadron (Android, Martian Monkey, £1.85) takes a different approach. In look and gameplay, it's eerily similar to Gamecube favourite Rogue Squadron – putting you in control of a red and white X-shaped ship familiar to all Star Wars fans. It's aerial combat, now in the palm of your hand, and despite being a shameless rip-off it looks superb, with all the mission types you'd expect – but as always it's the dogfights that provide most fun.Inevitably, the touchscreen controls let it down slightly – it's much harder to steer on the screen in the midst of hectic combat than with a gamepad – but is nonetheless a sterling effort, that will appeal to anyone with fond memories of blasting Tie fighters in the late nineties.